OT Maple Taps

[9huskies]

Any body on here tap the yellow birch or the black birch???

I haven't tapped yellow or black birch but I tapped some white birch trees a few years ago. I won't be tapping birch to make syrup again. Maple syrup tastes better. I am planning to tap some black birch this spring to make birch beer.

[woodchip]

Black Birch has a nice tasting flavor, Like Wintergreen

[Keychain]

Short and (hopefully) sweet season for me.  12 taps out March 4 and got very little.  Threw another 10 out a few days ago and got enough for one boil to make a gallon....

[gamefisher]

Short and (hopefully) sweet season for me.  12 taps out March 4 and got very little.  Threw another 10 out a few days ago and got enough for one boil to make a gallon....

The dark stuff tastes the best!  Way to hang in there.😎

[Keychain]

The dark stuff tastes the best!  Way to hang in there.😎

Prolly not done just yet!  We’ll see...

[GasBlaster]

I think its running ?

[gamefisher]

I think its running ?

I'm sure it is a little and a few guys may chase it but really not worth it with the sun still low , etc.  I'm sure we will get winter at some point, if you tap too early holes will start to dry out before the real run.  I always waited until mid Feb. , first of March, sometimes even later depending on forecast.

[Seamonkey84]

No! Too early for this! We haven’t even seen the crack on sabattus yet.

[GasBlaster]

I saw a guy at tractor supply getting buckets and taps.  He said it's running and he was headed home to tap a few more Sunday . I know the forecast looks right but I didn't think it would run this early even with the temps .

[GasBlaster]

Get those taps ready !!! It's time in southern Maine !!   This weekend it will be running ?

[gamefisher]

Put 11 taps in yesterday afternoon,  only 1was running with the cold north wind.  Got a few more tweaks to the truck tool box / lasagna pan evaporator to make this week, hopefully will have enough to boil this weekend.  Good luck to all of the Team Maine super sappers.😁🍺

[9huskies]

I put 25 taps in yesterday with 30 more going in today. I missed a good 4 day sap run last week because of work obligations but that job's finished and the next month looks free to make syrup, catch fish and hopefully shoot a few rabbits.

[CAP207]

I boiled 60 gallons of sap yesterday!  Should finish out with just over a gallon of syrup tonight!

[gamefisher]

Homemade or manufactured evaporators 9huskies and cap207?  I always love to see some of the contraptions people make great syrup on.

[9huskies]

Mine is homemade from a barrel stove and 2 big shallow roasting pans. If I burn good, dry hardwood it can boil 60 gallons of sap in an evening. Burning whatever softwood and poplar that I salvage it will boil 40 gallons of sap down to 1-1/2 gallons, then I finish with propane. I usually burn junk wood in the evaporator and save the good wood to heat my house, and ice fishing shack.

[Raquettedacker]

How are you guys making out?
Been cold and slow flowing here...

[gamefisher]

How are you guys making out?
Been cold and slow flowing here...

Same here, haven't boiled yet, cold north wind hindering flow, hopefully enough to boil Sunday.

[Raquettedacker]

Pretty funny it was 20*  this morning 36* and cloudy now no wind, put in 6 more lines and it was running  out before i had them hooked together.   Didn't  check the others but might have 60 gallons by Sunday..
  But i really like to wait for the dark stuff..

[gamefisher]

Still not much sap here but the truck tool box and homemade pan turning out some good product.  Looks like a run mid week then it might be all over.  With the stack temp running 758-800, the "pre pre heater" will get to 100 - 120 degrees before going into the dribbler, certainly helpful and free recaptured heat.
 

[mdanforth]

I’ve made 2 and 3/4 gallons so far...the run has been sporadic at best. I have 38 taps out and boil on a 2x4 evaporator, still learning the hang of that...haha

[gamefisher]

I’ve made 2 and 3/4 gallons so far...the run has been sporadic at best. I have 38 taps out and boil on a 2x4 evaporator, still learning the hang of that...haha

That's a nice comfortable size rig for the number of taps you have.  I'd love to have a store bought rig and give up on all this homemade junk given the efficiency difference, just hard to justify the $$$ for a hobbyist. 

[mdanforth]

That's a nice comfortable size rig for the number of taps you have.  I'd love to have a store bought rig and give up on all this homemade junk given the efficiency difference, just hard to justify the $$$ for a hobbyist.

Now that the kids are gone I somehow have more money...🤔🤔🤔

[Raquettedacker]

Great set up  gamefisher.
Im going for my first boil tomorrow morning.  Not quite 60 gallons but it should keep me busy...

[gamefisher]

Now that the kids are gone I somehow have more money...🤔🤔🤔

Hmmmm...... supposedly we are getting some money back from college shutting down, maybe I can sell it to the wife as "free money" for an evaporator!

[Gunflint]

Not quite 60 gallons but it should keep me busy...

How long should that take?

[zwiggles]

We dropped the ball this year and really won’t be processing any sap like normal. Just too much going on at my cousins business, and he usually drives the sap collection.

I like twine if the home made evaporators you have on here. We messed around for years trying to get something we liked and had similar set ups.

I’ll try to get a picture but we ended up taking an old, and unused “all nighter” front load wood stove, chopping it in half to extending the fire box, and then cutting a hole in top to fit a custom stainless steel pan we had made to fit in relatively snug (left some wiggle room for expansions and contraction). It works slick, and minus the stainless pan it was all home made and pretty cheap. If you’re interested I’ll try to find some pictures.

[9huskies]

How long should that take?

With my homemade evaporator burning junk wood like fir and poplar I can boil 60 gallons of sap down to 2 gallons in a long evening. If I burn good hardwood I can save an hour or more but I'm too cheap to buy it when I can get junk wood for free. The next day I finish it over a propane burner.

[gamefisher]

We dropped the ball this year and really won’t be processing any sap like normal. Just too much going on at my cousins business, and he usually drives the sap collection.

I like twine if the home made evaporators you have on here. We messed around for years trying to get something we liked and had similar set ups.

I’ll try to get a picture but we ended up taking an old, and unused “all nighter” front load wood stove, chopping it in half to extending the fire box, and then cutting a hole in top to fit a custom stainless steel pan we had made to fit in relatively snug (left some wiggle room for expansions and contraction). It works slick, and minus the stainless pan it was all home made and pretty cheap. If you’re interested I’ll try to find some pictures.

I've tried every hodge podge way possible, vamp and re-vamp.   Love to see pics of what others come up with. 

[Gunflint]

With my homemade evaporator burning junk wood like fir and poplar I can boil 60 gallons of sap down to 2 gallons in a long evening. If I burn good hardwood I can save an hour or more but I'm too cheap to buy it when I can get junk wood for free. The next day I finish it over a propane burner.

Wow! Very impressive!!

[hunts2long]

This is my nephew's operation. He is up to 65 gallons so far this year...h2l